Distilling apparatus.



No. 889,087. PATENTED MAY 26, 1908. P. ASHER.

DISTILLING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILI ID FEB. '7. 1901 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

PATENTED MAY 26, 1908.

No. 889,087. v

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7, 1907.

2 SHEBTS-SHEBT 2.

PHILIP ASHER, OF NEW ORLEANS, LOUISLKNA.

DISTILLING APPARATUS.

No. ssaoer.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May as, 1908.

Application filed February .7, 1907. Serial No. 35%,231.

To all whom it may conccm:

Be it known that .l, PniLir Asmara, a citizen of the United States, residing at New Orleans, parish of Orleans, and State of Louisiana, have invented new and useful Improvements in DistillingApparatus, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a distilling apparatus and an apparatus involving my invention may be advantageously used in various ways; for example, for the distillation of woods. 7

Some of the objects of said invention are to provide an effective device of the character mentioned which can be inexpensively made and by the employment of which volatile and non-volatile matters in the wood can be completely eliminated therefrom when subjected v to the action of said apparatus. I employ preferably live and superheated steam for the extraction of these matters from the wood and I provide means of such a nature as to equalize the heat of the steam throughout the interior of the retort'in order to obtain the best possible results, said apparatus embodying in its make up a retort of suitable character.

In the drawings accompanying and forming a part of this specification I have shown in detail oneform of embodiment of the invention which to enable those skilled in the art to practice the same will be set forth in detail in the following descri tion, while the novelty of said invention wil be included in the claims-succeeding said description.

Referring to said drawings, Figure l is a central vertical section of said apparatus. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional plan view, the section being taken on the line 22 of Fig. 1, and Fig. 3 is a perspectiveview of a gridlike member hereinafter more particularly described.

Like characters refer to like parts throughou, the several views.

My apparatus includes in its organization a retort and said retort may be of any desirable character; for instance, it may consist of a substantially cylindrical shell or casing as 2 made of sheet steel, or any other suitable material. The head portion of the retort is inclined inward and upward as at 3, While the base portion is inclined inward and downward as at 4. The to of the retort is provided with a door as 5 c osing a chargin opening therein. Th door when shut wi be sealed in practice in some steam tight i manner. By opening the door 5 the retort may be supplied with the wood from which be removed. The bottom of the retort is provided with a door as 6 adapted when shut to fit in place in a steam tight manner. head portion 3 may be provided with a vapor outlet pipe as 7 flanged as shown for connection with a condenser (not illustrated). Through this outlet pipe the volatile constituents eliminated from'the wood are led and travel toward the said condenser.

From the bottom of the retort a pipe as 8 depends. This pipe is provided with a valve as 9 by opening which any condensed liquid in the tank may be drawn off.- The said bottom is inclined so as to facilitate the passage of such liquid into the pipe 8. Within the retort 2 and ordinarily situated within the base portion 4 thereof is a perforated diaphragm or shelf as 10 which rests on an annular flange as 1 1 fastened suitably to said base portion. The wood or other material in the retort is sustained on this perforated diaphragm. The perforations in the diaphragm permit the free flow of any condensed liquid that maybe in the mass of wood into the liquid discharge pipe 8. The perforations, however,.are of such a size that they prevent wood and other foreign substances passing into the space below the these foreign substances might choke the said liquid discharge pipe 8.

The retort may be supported in any desirableway. For this purpose I have shown several standards each designated by '12 bolted or otherwise fastened to the exterior of the retort substantially centrally thereof, and the feet of these standards are adapted to rest upon a floor or other foundation in such a manner as to hold the bottom of the retort away from said floor.

' Within the retort I prefer to arrange one or more grid-like members which are perto the wood within the retort. I prefer to employ two of these grid-like members and I have shown one of them in detail in Fig. 3. Upon reference to Fig. 2 it will be seen that the two grid or skeleton-like members are disposed opposite each other in proximity to the interior surface of the retort 2.

A detailed description of one of these gridlike members will apply to the other as in the present'case they are of duplicate conthe volatile and non-volatile matters are to The diaphragm, as in case this were possible.

forated in such a manner as to supply steam hollow longitudinal members as 15, the

latter being arranged preferably in parallel ism and each extending oppositely from the tubular or hollow body 14. The hollow or tubular members 15 are perforated for the escape of steam. The .said body 14 may cons st of several ipe sections, cross tees and tees connecte suitably together, for

example, by screw threaded joints and these tees may be utilized for connecting the vertically disposed branches of the parallel tubes 15 with said body. Each tube as will be understood consists of an up er branch and a lower branch which exten upwardly and downwardly respectively from said body 14 and all of said tubes are perforated for the emission of steam, the perforations extending entirely about the tubes and the latter being capped at their op osite ends by caps as 16 to insure the latera flow of the steam. The oppositely disposed branches of the respective tubes 15 are commencing with theinner ends thereof of progressively decreasing diameter and this re suit I can secure by making said branches in sections, the sections commencing with the inner ones being of progressively reduced diameters and being screwed or otherwise suitablyjconnected with each other. The inner sections of the branches may be similarly jointed with the tees to which I have referred. By this diflerence'insize of the tubes I rovide for the thorough equalization of eat throughout the retort. The

body 14 is substantially polygonal so as to' conform as nearly as possible without the.

necessity of bending the sections thereof to the shape. of the retort.

While I do not intend to restrict myself to the use of steam of any particular sort for the volatilization and other treatment of the wood or other material in the retort I prefer to employ'live and superheated steam for this purpose and the same may be delivered into the said retort in any desirable .way, for example, by an organization of pipes such as shown in the drawings and now to be de scribed.

A superheated steam pipe is shown at 17, said pipe being equipped with a hand valve as 17 and its inner end being connected with the pipe 18, the opposite terminal'portions of which extend through the casing 2 and are connected with the horizontally disposed bodies 14 substantially centrally thereof. The pipe 17 is connected with the pipe 18 approxlmately centrally between the ends 0 the latter, and said pipe 18 preferably extends through stuffing boxes upon said casing. The pipe 18 may be provided with a thermometer as 19. A live steam pipe is shown at 20 and as equipped with a valve as oppositely or 20., the inner end of said pipe 20 )eing con nected with the superheated steam pipe 17 between the valve 17 and pipe 18.

Upon the exterior of the casing 2 is a pres-.

sure gage by which the pressure within the casing 2 can be determined; the thermometer 19., of course, indicatesthe temperature of the steam.

The base portion 4 is equipped witha pipe as 22 having a hand valve as 23. This pipe 22 will be utilized for-drawing off the tars and gases. The pipe 7 may be equipped with a valve as 24.

The mode of operation of the apparatus is as follows: The retort or easing 2 is filled with material of a suitable size and a mixture of live and superheated steam of roper temperature is permitted to enter. sald retort by of using live and superheated steam jointly in such proportions as to give a temperature of 140 C. is that the volatile principle contained in the wood has a boiling'point; of 155 C., and consequently a temperature higher than 140 0. would elimimate products disastrous to the substa'ncesought, namely, turpentine. After the elimination of the turpentine the valve 24 is partly closed and the temperature of the mixture.

of the live and the superheated steam is raised to 200 C. and kept at this temperature for about thirty minutes. The valve 24 is then entirely closed and, when the gage 21 shows a pressure of forty pounds to the square inch, steam is shut ofl' and the valve 9 is opened and a vacuum is produced and maintained by a connection with the pipe 8 until the greater part of the resinous portion of the wood is eliminated through said pipe 8. The valve 9 is then closedand pressure is again resorted to through the agency of live and superheated steam at atemperature of 200 C. to assist in further eradicating the resinous portions of the material, after which the vacuum is again created. The valve 9 is closed and the ,valve 23 opened. Then only superheated, steam at a tern erature ranging between 450 to 500 C. is al owed to enter theretort and the tars are passed off into a condenser by way of the pipe 22, the condenser being provided with means for the collection of tar and gases, which gases may be used for fuel. The supply of superheated steam is"contin ued for a limited period or until the wood is completely carbonized.

seaoer 'lhe invention involves a substantially cylindrical shell with slo ing ends and containing a series. of'suita ly positioned per- I can obtain turpentine and such charcoal in a rapid manner and the turpentine secured is of a uniform character. By reason of the vacuum device which I use in con nection with the process I can effectively eliminate, by way of the pipe 8 or equivalent part, the greater part of the resinous matters in the wood.

hat I claim is:

1.. In an apparatus of the class described, a retort, a substantially grid-like member in said retort comprising an approximately horizontal tubular body, and parallel members embodying branches extending oppositely from said body, of tubular form and perforated, the branches commencing at the body being of progressively decreasing diameter, and means for supplying steam to said grid-like member.

2, In an apparatus oftheclass described, a retort, and two oppositely disposed gridlike members mounted in said retort, each comprising a substantially horizontal body provided with upwardly and downwardly extending perforated branchesof progressively decreasing diameter commencing with their inner ends.

3. In an apparatus of the class-described,"

a retort, a substantially grid-like member in said retort embodying an approximately horizontally disposed body provided with oppositely disposed perforated tubular branches capped at their outer endsand of progressively decreasing diameter commencing with their inner ends.

4. In an apparatus of the class described, a retort, and a substantially grid-like member disposed in said retort and embod ing a tubular body provided with oppositely disposed perforated tubular branches of pro gressively decreasing diameter commencing at their inner ends.

5. In an apparatus of the class described, a retort, and a substantially grid-like mem bar in said retort embodying a tubular body provided with perforated branches of progressively decreasing diameter commencing at their inner ends. v

6. In an apparatus of the class described, a retort, and a substantially grid-like memberin said retort embodying a tubular body provided with perforated branches of pro gressively decreasing diameter commencing at their inner .ends, the outer ends of said branches being capped.

7. In an a paratus of the class described,

a retort of en stantially cylindrical form, and two oppositely substantially grid-like members in said retort. each comprising a substantially polygonal body provided with oppositely disposed branches of tubular perforated form and of progressively decreas ing diameter commencing with their inner ends.

8. In an apparatus of the class described, a retort having an inwardly upwardly in clinedhead portion, and a downwardly and inwardly inclined base portion, a perforated diaphragm supported in said base portion, a valved pipe extending from the bottom of the retort, said bottom being inclined, two oppositely disposed grid-like members in said retort, each comprisin a tubular body provided with oppositely disposed tubular branches having perforations.

9. In an apparatus of the class described, a retort, a substantially grid-like member in said retort comprising an approximately horizontal tubular body and parallel members embodying branches extending oppositely from said body, of tubular form and perforated, the branches commencing at the ody being of progressively decreasing diameter, means for supplying steam to said gridlike member, a perforateddiaphragm in the retort below said grid-like member, and a pipe leading from the retort below said k iaphragm, for conveying condensed liquids from the retort. I

10. In an apparatus of the class described, a retort, two opposite substantially grid-like members in said retort, each embodying a tubular body provided with perforated branches of progressively decreasing diam eter commencing at their inner ends, a pipe, the endsfiof which are connected with said tubular bodies, a second pipe connected with the first pipe between the ends thereof and having a valve, and a third pipe connected vwith the second pipe between the valve and the first pipe and'also having a valve.

11. In anapparatus of the class described, a retort having a valved outlet near its top and a perforated diaphragm therein near the bottom thereof, said retort also having independent valved discharge pipes leading therefrom and located below said diaphragm, a pair of opposing grid-like members in the retort each embodying a tubular body pro,- vided with perforated branches of progress ively decreasing diameter commencing at their inner ends, and means for supplying live and superheated steam admixed to said gird-like members or live and superheated steam independently of each other.

12. In an apparatus of the class described,

a retort, a substantially griddike member in said retort, comprising an approximately horizontal tubular body and parallel members embodying branches extending oppositely from said body, of tubular form and perforated, the branches commencing at the body being of progressively decreasing diameter, means for sup lying steam to said gridlike member, a per orated diaphragm in the tort below said diaphragm, and a valved ipe leading from the retort above said gridike member.

In testimony whereof I have'hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

PHILIP'YASIHER. 

